It is not just a modern trend that complaint groups are becoming more and more popular on social media in Singapore; it is evidence of how powerful complaints are at bringing people together politically. Customers of such platforms find link and validation of their feelings and experiences, proving that they are not only or even insane to believe that there was something wrong with what they had experienced, even though some may dismiss these online complaints as trifling and meaningless.
However, this trend begs the question of our political dynamics: What is driving more people to voice their grievancesonline? Are these virtual spaces replacing real-world people connections? Is there a underlying sense of social isolation, or is it just simpler to connect over shared emotions online?
And more fascinatingly: Does the comfort we all feel when we voice our complaints make us want to talk even more?
CAN CRIPPLE US FROM ACTION BY Grumbling
Whatever the reasons behind our complaints, we must take care that this “national sport” does not develop into a poison or an obsession.  ,
For instance, the OneService provincial software receives 1.7 million complaints annually from Singaporeans, or more than 4,600 cases per day. Issues range from complaints about loud neighbors to overflowing trash bins and illegal parking. OneService gained the reputation of being the “pao toh” ( Hokkien term for tattletale ) app during the COVID- 19 pandemic because locals used it to report people who were breaking the safe distance rules.
Friedrich Nietzsche, a scholar, forewarned in Twilight of the Idols that whining can lead to an “intoxicating sensation of strength,” or even an unwarranted sense of satisfaction. The issues that make us whine may also bring us joy. We might become dependent on it, which, unfortunately, might keep us from making any significant changes.
The compulsive happiness can turn us into routine complainers if we are not watchful.
We exercise our refusal to accept issues as less than ideal the more we whine. This can severely alter how we perceive things, making us perhaps less accepting of the flaws in people and circumstances, regardless of how admirable or beautiful they may be.
A person caused a stir in Singapore General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department in October 2023 by verbally abusing the nurse and yet arguing with the authorities. She was jailed and fined for various offenses. Her inability to realistically assess the situation was hampered by her obsession with her complaints, which fueled her fury. If she had been a little more accepting and understanding of her predicament, things might have gone separately.